British ambassador says institutions are not producing results for fighting corruption

The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Kosovo, Ruairi O'Conner, has commented today about the political processes Kosovo is going through since declaring independence, with particular emphasis on establishing an advanced legal framework for the rights of each citizen of Kosovo.

O'Connell, among other things, has said fighting corruption in Kosovo continues to be considered a priority for the country's institutions, but in practice there are no real results.

From my personal perspective, I know that Kosovo and its people deserve to live in a country where corrupt people are investigated, prosecuted and tried for their illegal behavior and actions. We have the same interest: not to let Kosovo collapse because of the interests of corrupt people”, diplomat O'Connell said in a speech he gave today to AAB College students, on the topic “United Kingdom Assistance to Fighting Corruption in Kosovo”.

Furthermore, the British ambassador has said fighting corruption should be guided within institutions, and the example should be given from there first. But, also, the ambassador said essential for fighting corruption is the civic reaction.

Is it tolerable to see successive scandals of involvement in suspicious corrupts exactly of officials who are law enforcement and not see their punishment? This has to be different from you young Kosovo students, you have the power to say stop for good the practice by”, O'Connell said.

In this speech, the British ambassador spoke of yet another problem facing Kosovo society, and he held it as nepotism and clientilism.

I know that Kosovo has capable people, educated people who can offer their contribution to the state, but if within the public system, people are employed solely because of party, political or family ties -- this not only rules out the possibility of creating an efficient system, but also creates debts within the system that should be paid to someone”, Ownell said.

Asked by students for demarcation with Montenegro, Ambassador O'Connell responded by saying Kosovo is an independent and sovereign state. Therefore, the issue of ratification of the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro is a bilateral issue between Kosovo and Montenegro.

At the end of the lecture, British Ambassador to Kosovo Ruairi O'Connell said the new generations of this country are the people who will help the state of Kosovo fight corruption./Periscope.